Reviews

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

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_bydbach_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

blakelyschmidt's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

A great book if it’s what you’re looking for! Sometimes it was kind of hard to follow, but mainly gave insight to how animals were treated back then.

Content Warnings

bargainsleuth's review against another edition

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5.0

My love of horses started with this book; we had the Junior Deluxe Edition growing up. Loved the 1994 movie version. Revisiting the book via Audible. I realized that this book showed me how humans could be awful, but how there were good ones out there, too.

helen_88's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

roriora's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

book_concierge's review against another edition

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4.0

Book on CD narrated by Simon Vance.

First published in 1877, this is the only novel written by Anna Sewell, but it has become a much-loved classic and one of the most widely read animal stories. Black Beauty tells his own story, from his early days as a colt frolicking with his friends and his mother, to learning to accept a bridle, saddle and rider, to being sold as a carriage horse, then to pulling a cab in London, and eventually to a happy country life once again.

I had a copy of this book when I was a child; it was part of a set of classics that included works by Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain (among others). But for some reason I never read it, even during my “horse crazy” phase. I’m so glad I finally got to it. It’s a timeless tale with a simple message: Be kind to everyone (and everything). Sewell manages to convey this through Beauty’s experiences, both good and bad.

The hardcover text edition I got from the library was also beautifully illustrated by Lucy Kemp-Welch. There are several full-page full-color plates, as well as small ink drawings beginning each chapter.

Simon Vance does a marvelous job voicing the audio version. He gives life to the story, without being overly dramatic. It’s a great book to “read aloud” and I highly recommend listening to it with your children or grandchildren.